In many towns in rural America, the Friday night lights of local football fields shine over empty fields, due to a significant and growing decline in sports participation. To put it into perspective, in the year 1983, 355 Nebraska high schools had football programs. Fast forward to 2013, and only 282 programs remained. The problem is exacerbated every year, as participation numbers continue to decline. Socioeconomic concerns, fear of injury, and a lack of available, qualified, and willing coaches seem to be sources of the problem. This is concerning for a number of reasons, as school athletics have a number of significant benefits to students. For one, regular physical activity has been scientifically proven to lower the likelihood of … [Read more...]
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